Pump and valve assembly



1954 E. F. RAUSCHER PUMP AND VALVE ASSEMBLY 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 22, 195].

[NVE NTUR ELBRIDBE E RAUQBH R BY W W ATTURNEY Feb. 23, 1954 E. F. RAUSCHER PUMP AND VALVE ASSEMBLY 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 22, 195].

[NVENTUR ELEIHID GE F RAuscHER .BY

ATTURNEY Patented Feb. 23, 195-4 U N l- TED STAT-ES O FFICE VALVE ASSEMBLY Elbrid'ge F. .Rauscher,.."Syracuse, NJL, assignor to. fEasy'Washing Machine CorporatiomjSyracuse, N. Y.',, a corporation of Delaware,

.Applicationfseptember 22, 1&5l ,-Ser'ial ND; 2.47.;8695

'3 Claims...

. 1y I This invention relates to a centrifugal pump and valve assembly, particularly adapted for. "use in, centrifugal extractor ztype two-tub washing" machines.

In; washing machines of' the type referred to it, -is. customary to provide a centrifugal pump. for rapidly removing water from the wash tub and the centrifugal extractor tub, discharging the same either into the wash tub #for re-use when taken fromthe'extractor tub, or -deliver.ing the same to the drain. Since it is desirable, whenever the extractor is in operation, that the pump be effective to immediately remove .centrifuged liquid, it has been the practice to. provide a permanently open, passage from the :centrifuge tub, and operate the centrifugal pump at all times, so that any-liquid from the extractor tank will be immediately disposed of. While the extractor passageis permanently open, -the connection to the wash tub is provided withavalve. With the permanently open-passage to the extractor tub, there is always a possibility of wash water from the wash tubfiowing into the ex tractor tub, should the pump fail to remove the drainwater fast enough. It is sometimes desirable toruse-the extractor tub, for rinsing prior to extraction, and in order to. hold rinse "water in. the tub, the outlet side of the pump has been provided with a valve Such valve, when closed, subjects the pump to back pressure.

.The present invention is directed to a pump and valve assemblywherein the inlet .connections to the pump. from either tub .may be closed when themachine is operating under conditions which.

doanot. requirea pumping operation. Thetarrangementis such thatthe pumpimpeller may thus continually rotate without-subjection to .back, pressure when it is desired to retain water inthe centrifuge tub.

The invention further has to dowith the provisionof .a unitary. .pump and. inlet valve. consit'ruction, whereby integral pump, inlet and valve chambers are provided by a pair of easing membars which. mayv be. readily and economically cast.

The above and'other. nove1.featur.es of theinvention will appear more fully hereinafter from the following detailed description whentakenfin.

conjunction with. the accompanying drawings. It is expressly understood that the drawings are employed for purposes of, illustration only andare not designed as a definition of the limits, of the invention, reference being had for this purpose to ."the appended claims.

In the, drawin S,-. whereinjlike reference. characters indicate like parts:

Figure; :1 .isaside elevation of .a 'washingima chine to-whichthe-pump and valve assembly isadapted, parts. being broken away to show the: p mp;

Figure 2 is an enlarged side elevation ofthe. pump and valve chamber;

Figure 3 :is a sectional view through thepump; and valve assembly, and through the axis ofmthe impeller and taken substantially on -planes;indicated by the lines 3-3 of Figures 4 ;and. 5,; v

Figure-4 is a sectional view taken-on-theline. 4-4 of Figure 3 and Figure-5 is a sectional view taken on-.the-line' 5-5 of Figure 3.

In Figure 1, there is shown a washingmachine; havingra wash tub i0 and centrifugal extractors tub l2 arranged side by side in [a manner well understood in the art. Thewash tub is-adapted to drain-throughaconduit M into the valve achamber of the unitary pump and valve construction referred to, and the extractor .tub i2 islikewise adapted to drain into the valve chamber of such unit through the conduit l6, such unitary valvechamber and pump construction being generally indicatedas .at 20.

Referring to Figures 2 and 3, there is shown, in conjunction with the conduit nipples Mohand- I60 valves Hand 24, which are adapted to be manually controlled by manual lever-actuated rock3 shafts -26:and 28:mounted upon the-skirt 30? of' the washingmachine (see Figure l). Each of such valves 22 and 2.4 comprises an arm 32 a resilient rubber valve member 34 carried by the arm, and a transverse rock shaft '36 whereby the arm and valve member 34 may be moved from .a. seated-position as shown to a wide open position where the valve member 3 3 is movedto aposition out of the path of flow ofwater. entering the valve chamber from either conduit .nipple Mllor I60. The rock shafts 36 are-each provided with an external lever 38exteriorly of the pumpma-nd' valve casing, andlinkage Mlis adapted ;to.c.on nect eachulever to the respective. control levers. 26' and. 28.. An over-center spring 42 tensioned. between a casing lug 4'4 and an .arm 46. on the; lever 38, serves to hold the valve tightly, closed; or ina wideopen position as limited by engagementvofsthe ear i! with thelug 49.

The pump .andvalve casing comprises two cas ing: members 4.8 and 5.0.. whichare secured to gether. along a-plane .52 'to form the unitary con. struction. The member 48.isprovided with acuplikeimpeller. recess 54having aback wall '56 and. a surrounding involute wall 58,, such wallincre'as ing .in radiuslto allow point whereinthereis provided a tangential discharge outlet conduit 62. The back wall 56 is provided with a bearing boss 64 in which is journaled a pump shaft 66 having an impeller 68 rigidly attached thereto and arranged within the recess 54 at one end, and a drive pulley secured to the shaft at the other end. Such shaft is journaled upon spaced bearings l2 and M, and a seal 16 is provided adjacent the impeller end. The bearing 12 has a thrust shoulder 13. A thrust washer 15 of irregular contour for keying is seated in a shoulder recess 19 of similar contour located behind the impeller 68.

The upper portion of the casing member is provided with a valve chamber or pocket 11, of greater depth than the impeller recess and of a width sufficient to receive the valve 22. The casing has formed as a part thereof the inlet conduit l4, terminating in an integral valve seat 2|.

The recess formed by the involute wall 56 is closed by a cover plate 13 adapted to lie substantially in the plane 52, such plate being seated in a shoulder groove 89 extending around the periphery of the involute wall 55. Such plate is provided with a central circular opening or orifice 82 aligned with the axis of the impeller 63.

The casing member 50 comprises a closure plate portion 85 having in general the contour of the wall of impeller recess 54, and a valve chamber pocket 88 radially disposed with respect to the cover plate portion, such pocket, however, extending to the central region of the cover plate as is indicated at 99 in order to provide a duct leading to the orifice 82 of the cover plate 18. The valve pocket 88 and the valve pocket 11 have walls of similar contour so that the members 48 and 50, when joined together, form a combined valve chamber, duct, and centrifugal pump. The casing members 48 and 50 are secured together by a series of bolts 92 arranged in marginal flanges 94 and 93 in the respective members 48 and 50. The member 50 is provided with an integral inlet conduit l6, terminating in a valve seat 23.

Each of the pockets l1 and 8B is provided with corner bosses I00 in which the rock shafts are journaled, and the rock shaft and valve lever arms may be keyed together by a transverse pin I02, access to which may be gained through a plug aperture Hi l arranged in alignment with such pin when the valve is in closed position. L

The discharge outlet for the centrifugal pump 62 is preferably provided with a drain plug I05. The casing member may be provided with a bracket I08 by which the pump and valve assembly is secured to an adjacent transmission or other supporting structure, and the casing member 48' is provided with a boss Hi! to which may be secured a channel-like guard member H2 arranged in proximity to the pulley and belt driving the pump impeller.

The discharge outlet 62 of the pump is connected to an upwardly extending pipe H4 leading to a swinging conduit H6 adapted to be swung from a position over the tub In to a position overhanging adjacent set tubs or a sink which will act as a drain.

It will be seen from the foregoing description that the pump impeller may be continuously driven, and that by closing both valves 22 and 24, the impeller will scavenge the pump chamber and thereafter rotate free of back pressure. If it is desired to drain the Wash tub it, the valve 22 may be opened, whereupon the pump immediately acts to discharge water draining into the pipe 4 to the swinging conduit H6. Similarly, if it is desired to remove water from the extractor tub, the valve 24 may be opened for this purpose, whereupon the pump effects discharge of such water through the conduit I I4. With both valves closed, any residue of water in the outlet pipe 1 M will be prevented from flowing backward into the pump impeller by reason of rotation of the impeller, without creating any substantial back pressure.

It will be apparent from a consideration of the casing members comprising the assemblage that such members are readily adapted for die casting, utilizing relatively simple molds requiring a minimum amount of the coring, and that by reason of such construction, the entire assembly can be produced economically.

In practice, because of the relatively narrow inlet leading to the pump chamber, the pump chamber closure plate 82 may be eliminated without seriously impairing the pump output, thus simplifying the assembly of the two-part casing.

Although a single embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto. As various changes in the construction and arrangement may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art, reference will be had to the appended claims for a definition of the limits of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a combination centrifugal pump and valve structure for two-tub centrifugal extractor type washing machines, a casing comprising opposed members joined together substantially on a dividing plane, one of said members having a pump impeller recess having a rear wall facing said dividing plane and having an involute wall extending from said plane to said rear wall, bearings in said rear wall, and a pump impeller journaled in said bearings on an axis normal to said dividing plane, an integral discharge outlet conduit extending tangentially from said recess, said one member having a valve chamber radially disposed with respect to said recess on a side of said recess away from said outlet conduit and of a depth greater than the depth of said recess,

a portion of said involute wall in part dividing said recess from said chamber, an integral inlet conduit leading to said valve chamber, and terminating in a valve seat within said chamber, and valve means comprising a rock shaft, valve arm, and valve member journaled in the valve chamber portion of said casing member for movement of said valve member into and out of seating engagement with said valve seat, and the other casing member comprising a pump recess closure plate portion of a contour adapted to cover said'recess, said plate portion having a pump inlet duct extending axially away from the recess and radially beyond the plate portion, said inlet duct forming a valve chamber complemental' to the valve chamber of the first-named member, said plate portion being centrally and radially in a valve seat, and valve means mounted within said last-named valve chamber portion for engaging said seat.

{2. In a combination centrifugal pump and valve structure for two-tub centrifugal extrac-v tor type washing machines, a casing comprising opposed members joined together substantially on a dividing plane, one of said members having,

a pump impeller recess having a rear wall facing said dividing plane and having an involute Wall extending from said plane to said rear Wall, said wall having a marginal shoulder inwardly spaced from said dividing plane, hearings in said rear wall, and a pump impeller journaled in said hearings on an axis normal to said dividing plane, an integral discharge outlet conduit extending tangentially from said recess, said one member having a valve chamber radially disposed with respect to said recess on a side ofsaid recess away from said outlet conduit and of a depth greater than the depth of said recess, a portion of said involute wall in part dividing said recess from said chamber, an integral inlet conduit leading to said valve chamber, and terminating in a valve seat within said chamber, and valve means comprising a rock shaft, valve arm, and valve member journaled in the valve chamber portion of said casing member for movement of said valve member into and out of seating engagement with said valve seat, and the other casing member comprising a pump recess closure plate portion of a contour adapted to cover said recess, said plate portion having a pump inlet duct extending axially away from the recess and radially beyond the plate portion, said inlet duct forming a valve chamber complemental to the valve chamber of the first-named member, said plate portion being centrally and radially open to said inlet duct, and a fiat plate having a central orifice and of a configuration and thickness adapted to seat in said marginal shoulder and held in place by the closure plate portion of said other casing member, said other casing member having an integral inlet conduit lead,- ing into the valve chamber portion thereof and terminating in a valve seat, and valve means mounted within said last-named valve chamber portion for engaging said seat.

3. In a combination centrifugal pump and valve structure for two-tub centrifugal extractor type Washing machines, a casing comprising opposed members joined together substantially on a dividing plane, one of said members having a pump impeller recess having a rear wall facing said dividing plane and having a curved wall normal to said plane, said wall having a marginal shoulder inwardly spaced from said dividing plane, and a pump impeller journaled in said recess on an axis normal to said dividing plane, an integral discharge outlet conduit extending tangentially from said recess, said one member having a valve chamber forming portion radially disposed with respect to said recess and of a depth greater than the depth of said recess, an integral inlet conduit leading to said valve chamher, and the other casing member comprising a pump recess closure plate portion of a contour adapted to cover said recess, said plate portion having a pump inlet duct extending axially away from the recess and radially beyond the plate portion, said inlet duct forming a valve chamber portion complemental to the valve chamber portion of the first-named member, said plate portion being centrally and radially open to said inlet duct, and a flat plate having a central orifice and of a configuration and thickness adapted to seat in said marginal shoulder and held in place by the closure plate portion of said other casing member, said other casing member having an integral inlet conduit leading into the valve chamberportion thereof, and valve means mounted within the valve chamber formed by said members and adapted to cooperate in valving relation with at least one of said inlet ducts.

ELBRIDGE F. RAUSCHER.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,267,897 Pagel May 28, 1918 1,983,131 Hume Dec. 4, 1934 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 10,664 Germany Nov. 30, 1879 121,552 Sweden Apr. 27, 1948 

